The present invention relates to the field of advertising, and more specifically, to direct targeted media advertising over peer-to-peer networks.
In the traditional realm of media proliferation, a user can either purchase a copy of the media (such as in the form of a DVD, CD, e-book, etc.) or purchase access to broadcast media from a third party (e.g., television packages from COMCAST or VERIZON). These traditional venues allow for content providers to garner additional revenue from advertisement slots that a content provider can sell to an entity wishing to advertise their products or services to a targeted audience (the likely consumers who are purchasing or watching a specific media).
However, it has become increasingly more common for individuals to share files, especially media files, across peer to peer (P2P) networks. These networks are generally outside of the realm of media companies' or the media content originators' control. More specifically, P2P networks and companies are seen by many as means for users to get free content, thereby benefitting from copyright infringement. Media companies and content providers generally suffer losses as users of P2P networks obtain for free what consumers would otherwise have to purchase.